


Ignite the Sun

by BurningLio



Series: The Colony [14]
Category: Promare (2019)
Genre: Blood and Violence, Implied/Referenced Rape/Non-con, M/M, Rebellion, Slavery
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-12
Updated: 2020-06-22
Packaged: 2021-03-03 06:01:38
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 5
Words: 19,290
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24140053
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BurningLio/pseuds/BurningLio
Summary: As the resistance movement on Omega Centauri explodes into an all-out war, Galo's only priority is protecting Lio, and he'll do whatever it takes to save him - if Kray hasn't already damaged him beyond repair.
Relationships: Gueira/Meis (Promare), Kray Foresight/Lio Fotia, Lio Fotia/Galo Thymos
Series: The Colony [14]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1659124
Comments: 102
Kudos: 231





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> At last, I've reached the finale! This is a multichapter story and it will be the final installment of The Colony, I'm expecting it to be about four or five chapters long. Tags to be added as needed. Updates will still be slower than normal, since this stretch has a lot more plot and I want to make sure I do it right! Thank you all for reading and supporting the series, I hope the ending will be worth the wait. :)

Heris and Lucia’s plan is simple, in theory. What isn’t simple is getting everyone else on board. Galo watches as Heris explains, aided by visual aids from Lucia’s holo projector. They’ve met out on the edge of the settlement this time, both to avoid Security patrols and to make sure there’s room for their largest gathering yet. None of the hab units are big enough to hold more than a handful of people at a time and all the larger structures are more carefully monitored, so one of their supporters, Luis, has offered the empty space behind his unit, which he cheerfully refers to as his “yard.”

“I’ll just say it’s my birthday party if Security comes sniffing around,” Luis had said with a wink, when Galo expressed his concern that this would place him under suspicion. Luis has been on board almost as soon as he heard that Galo was behind much of the anti-Oversight effort; Galo finds his trust both touching and terrifying. But then, he’d been one of the few non-Burnish to get a glimpse at what the Foundation was really like before they left earth, arrested and harassed and interrogated under the suspicion of knowingly sheltering his Burnish pizza cook. Galo is certain that his support has helped - even though he’s no longer able to run a restaurant, his home has still somehow become as much of a social gathering spot as his restaurant had been in Promepolis. This isn’t the first time they’ve met here to discuss insurrection. Galo scans the crowd, noting the many familiar faces - Deimos, who’s thrown in his lot with the resistance movement in the hope of building a better life for his two children; Eris, a scientist who’d left her post because Oversight wouldn’t allow her civilian wife to live in the terraforming complex with her. Her wife, Kilana, is chatting amiably with Varys and Remi, laughing merrily at something one of them said.

Heris has never come to any of their meetings at all, only contacting them through her encrypted letters to Aina. That she is willing to come to them now, despite the risks, speaks volumes about the importance of what she’s here to say. She seems out of place in the dusty, slipshod settlement in her neat lab coat and skirt, timid and quiet as she waits for everyone to settle down. But despite her visible nervousness at the size of the crowd, her voice doesn’t waver when she starts to explain her findings.

“I know that many of you have been working hard to push back against Oversight and improve everyone’s quality of life in the settlement,” Heris says. “But without a way to defend ourselves against Security, our options are slim. I know many of you have joined Captain Ex’s militia, and there’s been talk of stealing weapons or hijacking construction mechs. But it’s not going to be enough unless we have a weapon… or weapons… as powerful as any of theirs. If this works… they will be forced to listen to us.”

The diagram Lucia projects over Heris’s head is spherical, with a stylized human figure standing inside. Galo swallows hard, his mouth suddenly dry. “The Prometech Engine was what powered the Parnassus, drawing energy from the Burnish to allow us to warp here.” Galo hears a few startled murmurs, and remembers that most people had no idea about the horrific way the Parnassus was fueled. Heris ignores this and keeps going. “But what I didn’t know until a few days ago is that Deus Prometh developed a more refined version of the engine, capable of drawing significant power without the cost of human life. I… don’t have the resources to reproduce it without the Governor’s knowledge. But between us, Lucia Fex and I have developed a prototype based on his research, capable of opening a warp gate.” Lucia’s projection animates to illustrate her words, cartoon flames appearing around the human figure as a triangle-shaped tear opens above the sphere.

“How does that help?” someone interjects. “We can’t go _back._ ”

“And the Burnish aren’t Burnish anymore,” someone else adds. “After the Governor finally figured out how to subdue them.”

“No. We can’t go back,” Heris says. “Even if we had somewhere to go, the gate opened by this engine is nowhere near large enough or stable enough for another mass migration. But we can bring something _here._ And that,” she adds, glancing in the direction of the second speaker, “brings me to the Burnish.”

The illustration changes - two spheres, which Galo realizes after a moment must represent Omega Centauri and Earth. One is filled with fire, while the other has tiny human figures on its surface. “The Burnish are still Burnish. But their source of power was inside the Earth’s core - living flames that Dr. Prometh called the Promare. What Kray Foresight never told you was that his migration was the reason Earth was destroyed. By… by hurting the Burnish, using them as fuel, their flames responded with indiscriminate destruction.” On cue, the circle representing Earth vanishes, fading into nothing, but the fire remains. “That source of power still exists, but we’re light years away from it now. The Burnish can’t reach it. But… what Dr. Prometh accomplished with his perfected engine… was immense magnification of Burnish power. We already know that power can be used for warp travel. And… I believe… it could be used to draw the Promare _here._ Not to the planet, which cannot sustain them, but… into Omega Centauri’s sun. Close enough that their symbiotic relationship to the Burnish would become active once more.”

“Close enough,” Lucia adds, grinning, “that the Burnish could actually fight back.”

The crowd explodes into anger and confusion. “Bring the Burnish _back?_ ” Galo hears someone shout.

He can see Luis and a few others trying in vain to calm their neighbors, but the fear sparked by the mention of the Burnish is drowning them out.

“We’re finally safe, and you want to bring them back?”

“Hell, getting rid of the Burnish was the only good thing Foresight did!”

Galo’s blood boils and he surges forward, standing next to Heris and Lucia in an attempt to get the crowd’s attention. “He tried to commit genocide and you’re calling that a _good thing?_ ” he snarls. Barely anyone seems to hear him, still arguing and shouting, but he presses on anyway. “None of you have _any idea_ what the Burnish went through, what they’re still going through—”

“ _Quiet!_ ” The shout is so loud, so sharp, that Galo jumps. It's Heris. She has stepped forward, hands curled into fists, her face filled with a fury that reflects his own. He stares at her, dumbfounded. “Don’t you _dare_ tell me Kray did a good thing,” she snaps, her voice shaking. “I was _there._ I helped him do it. I supervised every test we ran, I watched them screaming and dying in that engine - they were _human beings!_ He murdered them and so did I, and I will never be able to change that, but I can make damn sure it never happens again.” 

She glares out at all of them, breathing hard. In the moment of quiet that follows, Galo hears a derisive scoff - Deimos, the young father with two little girls at home, and his heart sinks. “And what happens with the Burnish on the loose again, huh? What happens when Mad Burnish gets let out with the rest of them and suddenly we’re too busy putting out fires to rebuild?”

Galo’s jaw clenches at the mention of Mad Burnish. “It’s not like they were setting fires for fun! If we _worked with them—_ ”

“You built a career on cleaning up their messes, Thymos, why are you defending them?” Deimos snaps. “You should know better than anyone how bad it got because of them! They’d have burned the city to the ground if it wasn’t for you—”

“Are you saying you wouldn’t have done the same in their place?” Heris says sharply.

“What?”

“If everyone you loved was being tortured and killed, wouldn’t you have done _anything_ to stop it?” Her voice cracks slightly. “I did… _terrible_ things… because I thought I was protecting the only family I had left. And now all of you are prepared to take up arms and fight Kray Foresight for your freedom. The Burnish are no different! And yet no one knew what they were fighting against. No one knew what was at stake for them.” She grabs the control for the holo-projection from Lucia, and the holographic illustration of Omega Centauri disappears as she makes new selections. “That ends _now._ Everyone needs to know what we did.”

She holds up the projector control, casting a two-dimensional image above their heads. It looks like surveillance footage, a grainy image of a clean, white laboratory shot from an unsettling high angle, a timestamp in the corner which dates the video to a couple of years before the migration. Heris’s voice speaks - the Heris of several years ago, narrating the footage, cool and calm: “Initiating power efficiency test, prototype iteration 67.” And in the center of frame, Galo can see a man strapped to one of those X-shaped restraints, just like what he saw in Kray’s laboratory so long ago. His breath quickens, knowing what’s about to happen a second before it actually does: the prototype pod begins to spin, and the Burnish test subject begins to scream. Galo realizes he’s shaking, and forces himself to look away before he can see the man’s body turning to ash. By the time Heris shuts off the projection, Galo’s stopped hearing it, really; it’s Lio’s screams echoing in his mind. That terrible glimpse he’d had of Lio writhing in agony inside the engine core, screaming and sobbing as his body crumbled - in reality it had only lasted a few seconds before Kray intercepted him and Lio was no longer in his field of vision, but it’s stuck on repeat inside his head, seared so permanently into his memory that it’s practically become part of him.

Someone touches his arm and he jumps, but it’s only Lucia, looking up at him with concerned understanding. “Breathe,” she whispers, and grabs his hand tightly, and Galo nods, squeezes her hand back to ground himself and follows her advice. She knows about his nightmares too.

The crowd is in an uproar again, but the tone is different - anger, confusion, but now horror, too. There’s a look of grim satisfaction on Heris’s face as she watches them. Galo sees Luis trying to meet his eyes, pale and stricken.

“Is that… is that what happened to Marco?” he says softly, and Galo can only nod. It should have bothered him sooner, he thinks, that Luis’s defense of his cook was the first time he’d ever seen someone stand up for a Burnish.

“It’s… horrible,” Deimos says shakily, looking ashen.

“What we did was unconscionable.” She fixes her eyes on Deimos. “Mad Burnish was not a delinquent gang or a terrorist organization, any more than this very militia. They were the only people that ever posed a real threat to the Foundation. And have you ever considered what a man like Foresight might _do,_ once he has an enemy in his power? Someone who stood a chance of stopping him?” She stops, lets those words hang in the air, heavy and uncomfortable. Galo’s stomach twists, the memory of Lio’s screams still echoing distant in his ears. “The Burnish are not your enemies,” Heris says, finally. “And you still have a chance to prove that the rest of humanity will not turn their backs on them again.”

She has them, Galo realizes. The angry, resistant murmurs have gone silent. Deimos stares at her a moment longer, then averts his eyes, looking ashamed.

Galo lets go of Lucia’s hand and steps forward, trying to make his voice as steady as Heris’s. “Listen,” he says. “I get it. I know why you’re scared. I grew up in Promepolis. Fire took the only family I had. I’ve spent my whole life putting out fires, because I wanted to keep the whole city safe. But now… maybe we _need_ to start a few fires. We need the Burnish.” He smiles humorlessly, his fists clenched tight. “’Cause now I can think of a few things worth burning down.”

Almost immediately Luis steps up next to him, his usually friendly face filled with grim determination. “I’m with you,” he announces. “Someone’s got to put a stop to all this. And - well - isn’t that why all of us are here? To change this colony for the better?”

Relief floods over Galo as more and more of the others follow his lead, stepping forward to volunteer their services or calling out agreement. Heris seems to be taking it in stride, but when she glances his way he catches her eye and he sees the same desperate relief reflected in her face for just a moment. She wasn’t sure how this would go either.

“We’re with you, Dr. Ardebit,” he says, and strangely enough he _means_ it. He should hate her more than ever after what she just showed them, that reminder of what exactly she did, but right now he’s too grateful to dwell on it. She’s right about this - what Kray did, what she did, needs to be finally brought out into the light.

And Lio might have a chance now, because of her.

He shakes it off. There’s no time to dwell on his opinions of the scientist, and he’s itching to take action. “So what’s the plan?”

It’s Lucia who answers, grinning as she snatches the projector controls back from Heris. “Oh, Galo, I’m _so_ glad you asked,” she exclaims, stepping forward. “This will be the _fun_ part…”


	2. Chapter 2

It’s been over a month since the last time Gueira saw Meis. Security has followed Kray’s orders to the letter, keeping both of them separate and isolated ever since their plans for rebellion fell apart. He’s been moved to a night shift, and can only assume Meis is now working during the day. They’ve moved him to an isolation cell, where he tries to sleep during the day until the guards show up at sunset to drag him off to his work assignment. From the other Burnish on his work team, he’s gathered that Meis is at least still alive, but he hasn’t been able to learn much more. Security’s keeping a closer eye on him than ever, and is quick to break it up if anyone lingers in conversation with him too long. Gueira tries to keep his distance, not wanting to put anyone else at risk.

He’s going to lose his mind cooped up like this with no way of knowing if Meis is okay, no way of finding out what happened to Lio after he was tortured in front of them that day in the compound. He’d scarcely recognized the boss, so thin and docile and dull-eyed, and the way he’d reacted to Kray makes Gueira shudder even now. He thought he’d known what to expect after hearing the others’ reports of Lio’s condition, but nothing could have prepared him for seeing the boss like that. What the _fuck_ has been happening to him?

Gueira mulls it over as the transport drives his work group to the quarry where they’ve been assigned, unable to stop himself from going down into this particular spiral of worry despite knowing good and well that there’s nothing he can do for either Meis or Lio. All he can do is get angrier and angrier, without even flames to show for it. He tells himself he’s waiting and watching for an opportunity, but if he’s really honest with himself, he has to admit that there’s nothing he can do about any of it—

And then suddenly, the world turns upside down.

It takes a few minutes for his mind to catch up to whatever just happened. The van is no longer moving, and it’s pitch-black in the armored compartment where the Burnish are shackled, and Gueira’s ears are still ringing from the deafening blast that just shook the entire vehicle. Slumped against the wall, Gueira struggles to right himself, panting. Everything’s askew; they must have tipped over a little, or maybe stopped on an incline. With no windows on the outside world it’s impossible to tell where they are or what exactly happened.

“Everyone all right?” he calls out, but his ears are still ringing so loudly that he’s not sure if any of the others answer him. He tugs at the cuff on his wrist shackling him to the floor and growls when it’s no looser than it was before.

And then the doors are flung open, and Gueira squints as someone shines a bright light inside. It’s already dark outside. He can’t quite see the person holding the light but they look small, their silhouette quite different from the bulky Security uniforms he’s used to seeing.

“Any of you go by the name Meis or Gueira?” a reedy female voice calls out.

Gueira scowls up into the light. “Who’s asking?”

“No one special, just the guys who’re busting you out of here,” the woman replies cheerfully, and the light bobs as she climbs into the van. As she gets closer Gueira can see that she is indeed tiny, dressed in civilian clothes, and he feels a tiny spark of hope. There’s no way this chick is with Security.

A man sticks his head in the open doors, calling after her. “Hurry up, we don’t have much time before someone comes to investigate that blast. Varys already set the second set of charges.”

“I _know,_ Remi, geez. I’m working on it.” She grabs a set of tools from her belt and starts efficiently cutting the Burnish prisoners’ shackles. “Look, you _are_ either Meis or Gueira, right?” she remarks to him, conversationally.

“I… yeah. Gueira. Who are you? What’s going on?” 

She doesn’t answer right away, focused on snapping another set of manacles, then gives him a startlingly sharp-toothed grin. “Lucia Fex. We’re faking your deaths. You know Galo, right?”

Gueira’s head is spinning. “…Yeah? We lost contact-”

“I know. But it’s fine. We’ve got a plan, and we need a Burnish. Someone strong. We figured one of the Mad Burnish generals was our best option, yeah?” She’s finished releasing all of the Burnish. Her companion is ushering them out of the vehicle, and only Gueira remains seated on the bench, staring up at their improbable rescuer. “So? You coming? We don’t have much time if we wanna make this look like a believable accident.” She shakes her head, tutting. “So irresponsible of them, not securing their explosives properly. It’ll take _months_ to dig their equipment out of this mountainside.” She sounds positively gleeful at the thought. “Those poor souls on that prison transport, though… such a shame, there was nothing left of them.”

Gueira almost asks what happened to the guards up front, and then thinks better of it. The utter silence from the front of the vehicle since they crashed probably answers his question. He still has no idea what’s going on, and he has no real reason to trust Lucia Fex, but - he has no real reason _not_ to, either. At this point, he has absolutely nothing left to lose. He nods, pushes himself to his feet, the broken handcuff still dangling from his wrist. “All right,” he agrees. “’S not like I had anything better to do today. Fill me in.”

\---

Galo wakes to Lucia roughly shaking his shoulder. “Galo! Get up! It’s time to go.”

He sits up, suppressing a yawn, honestly a little surprised that he managed to fall asleep. Heris and Lucia had finished their device the day before, and they’d made the decision to set everything in motion after sundown, hoping that the cover of darkness would buy them more time before Security was onto them. It’s been nearly a week since they announced their project, and Galo’s never been good at waiting. When Aina bullied him into calling in sick so he could try to get some rest during the day, he’d doubted he would be able to calm his racing thoughts long enough to actually fall asleep. But he’s definitely been asleep for a couple hours at least. There’s no longer any sunlight filtering into the habitat; he’s slept right through sunset, and night has already fallen over the colony.

“Where’s Heris?” he asks her fuzzily, shaking his head to try and clear it.

“Out by the engine already. We found one of your Burnish friends, by the way, _and_ you’ve got a disguise all ready for you. Come on, let’s go.”

He follows her out through the settlement. A couple of times she takes a sharp, unexpected turn away from the direction Galo had thought they were going, but he trails her without questioning it; after sneaking out to work on the engine most nights this week, she’s become an expert at breaking curfew and avoiding the patrols. Galo honestly doesn’t know how she’s still functioning; she’s still been working during the day, too, but she’s remarkably coherent for someone who seems to have only slept a few hours in the entire week. Then again, this is classic Lucia. The balance between her sleep and work schedules had never made much sense on Earth, either.

Finally they arrive - out behind Luis’s hab once again, though they’re a little further out this time, hiding their activities amidst the tree-like plants growing behind the settlement. The alien forest doesn’t have much in the way of undergrowth, so it’s not especially effective cover, but it’s far enough out that nobody has noticed it yet. Only the science teams really pay any attention to the undeveloped areas around the settlement, and Heris has been covering for them.

Everyone else is already here. Lucia must have waited till the last minute to wake him up, because it looks like Ignis, Aina, and the other militia members have already pulled off their plan to hijack some of the construction mechs and repurpose them for the defense efforts. Remi’s already strapped into his, and Ignis is speaking to some of the others, going over their strategy. Aina’s doing maintenance on some kind of weapon, and this far away Galo can’t tell if it’s something they stole or one of Lucia’s experimental projects. Aina spots them as they approach, and waves.

“We’re almost ready to go,” she says, eying them as they walk up. “How are you feeling?”

“…Okay. I think.” Galo’s honestly not sure, and he’s not sure he wants to think any more deeply about it just now. He’s so on edge he feels like he’s vibrating, and he can’t tell if he’s elated or terrified. There’s so much that could go wrong, and while he pushes these pessimistic possibilities out of his mind it’s like he can feel them just out of view, lying in wait. But he’s not even going to acknowledge that failure is an option. There’s no way he’ll let that happen.

Everything will be over soon, and Kray Foresight will never touch Lio again.

Aina watches him sympathetically, and he’s sure she can tell that “okay” is not actually a very good description of his emotional state right now, but luckily she doesn’t push it because she’s Aina and half the time she seems to know what he needs better than he does. “You’re sure you want to go in there alone,” she says in a low voice. It’s not phrased like a question, really. They both already know the answer.

“I have to,” Galo says. “I need to get to him before Kray tries using him against us, and I don’t want to put anyone else at risk.” And he’s still got the vague sense that Lio wouldn’t want any more people than necessary seeing him like… like that. Even though he’s not sure if that’s even still true. Lio hadn’t seemed like he’d cared, anymore.

Galo swallows, trying not to think about it, pushing that memory off to the side with all the possible outcomes he’s also refusing to think about. At this point, not thinking about all the things he’s not thinking about is taking a concerted effort. That’s probably a bad sign.

To distract himself he busies himself with the disguise Lucia obtained for him. He’s going to be infiltrating Oversight itself, and while they’re all hoping Kray and his top brass will have taken the bait and gone to investigate the “accident” Lucia’s team caused, he still can’t afford to be seen looking like himself. There’s no reason a civilian laborer would be allowed into Colonial Oversight. Instead, he’s in the armored uniform of Colonial Security, complete with a sidearm at his hip. Wearing this, including a helmet to hide his face, he’ll be walking right in the front doors of Oversight with Heris, and then relying on the counterfeit ID chip Lucia made him to get him into Kray’s apartment. Part of him still feels guilty about this part of the plan; it’s not strictly necessary, after all. He could be here instead, helping defend the engine, maybe eventually joining the team that’s going to break into the Burnish compound and let them loose on Security when they’re able to join the fight. But no matter how important he knows all of that is, none of it seems to matter as long as Lio is still a prisoner. Besides, if he doesn’t get Lio out of there, Kray will be able to use him against them, and there’s no way Galo can let that happen.

With his armor in place and the helmet under one arm, he looks over at where Lucia and Heris are getting the machine ready. Even though he knows it was based on the engine Prometh used to power the Deus X Machina, this prototype looks nothing like that; it’s an open frame rather than a sphere, with barely any casing to hide or protect the complicated-looking internal components. It was thrown together from a combination of Lucia’s stolen scrap stash and whatever equipment Heris was able to spirit away from her own research labs, and it honestly looks like garbage. Still, he trusts Lucia; if she says it’ll work, it’ll work. It’s just a matter of how long it will take, if they can hold off Security long enough, if the Burnish powering it can hold out long enough…

The Burnish in question is Gueira, who sees Galo looking in his direction and raises his one hand in greeting. He looks grim but calm, and Galo wishes he shared his composure.

“You’ll get him out,” is all Gueira says, when Galo gets within earshot.

Galo nods. “I won’t leave him there to suffer, not as long as I’m still breathing.” Gueira laughs softly, and Galo frowns. “What?”

“Nothing,” the Burnish says, shaking his head. “You just… for a second there, you sort of sounded like him. I think I get it now.”

He doesn’t get a chance to ask _what_ exactly Gueira gets now, because Lucia’s next to him again. “It’s time,” she says. “Just saw a couple Security transports leaving for the quarry on the surveillance feed, so they’re starting to investigate. You and Heris get into position, and then we’re turning on the Ardefex Engine.”

“The what?” says Heris, looking up from her work.

“I decided on the name just now,” Lucia says casually. “I thought it sounded cool.”

Despite the situation, Galo can’t help grinning a little. “It does sound cool,” he admits.

“See? Galo agrees.” Lucia hands Galo a small earpiece, then steps back over to the controls of the newly-christened Ardefex Engine. “Go on. Use that to stay in touch. We’ll be ready.”

Galo nods, feeling suddenly too uncertain to speak. Heris looks just as nervous as he feels, but she adjusts her earpiece under her hair and then nods decisively. The two of them slip back into the settlement as quietly as possible, Heris avoiding dangerous routes as expertly as Lucia had. Galo follows her, glad to have a guide, because his eyes are glued to the imposing shape of the Colonial Oversight Facility looming over the rest of the settlement.

“I’m coming, Lio,” he whispers under his breath, and lowers the helmet’s visor over his face.

\---

Lio hears voices, speaking in a low murmur, and isn’t sure if he’s still dreaming. He shuts his eyes tighter, moving closer to his master, hoping it’ll stop. But then he realizes one of the voices is Kray’s; he’s speaking to Biar, who’s standing next to the bed and leaning in to whisper to him. Kray is already sitting up, and rests a gentle hand on the back of Lio’s head when he feels him move, stroking him.

“…probably an accident transporting explosives for the mining operation,” Biar is whispering. “But they’re still investigating the cause. I’m sorry to wake you, sir, but…”

“No, no, I understand,” Kray whispers back. “Duty calls.” He glances down at Lio, still stroking his hair. “It’s all right, Lio. Go back to sleep.”

Lio swallows back a whimper of protest as Kray’s warmth departs the bed. It’s unusual for him to be left in his master’s bed alone, and after Kray dresses and leaves he grows steadily more uncomfortable until he finally gets out of bed, limps to his cage and curls up there. Physically it’s far less comfortable, but at least now he can be secure in the fact that he won’t get in trouble for sleeping here. Kray didn’t say anything about it, but still… it’s his master’s bed, not his. He hasn’t slept in the cage since he was hospitalized; Kray prefers him close by, these days. It’s rare for him to go anywhere without Lio at his side, and Lio finds he’s restless and anxious about being left in the apartment alone.

But there’s nothing he can do about it. Lio shifts around for a few minutes, wincing as he tries to find the least uncomfortable position for his sore hip where it’s not pressing against the bars or the hard metal floor. Finally, he gives up and falls still, resting his head on the crook of his elbow and closing his eyes. All he can do is rest and wait.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [suggested listening](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U06IPcob5bE) for the middle section here (after the first scene break) if you're into that kind of thing...

Oversight buzzes with activity, unusual for this time of night. Seeing the heightened presence of Security, Galo’s heart rate quickens. Oversight is very clearly aware that _something_ is happening, and he hopes no one has caught on yet that the “accident” was actually sabotage. Nobody stops Heris or questions her as she strides right in the front gates with a uniformed Security officer at her side, though Galo is thankful no one tries to speak to him; his heart is pounding in his throat, his palms sweaty with nerves. The guards acknowledge their presence, but they clearly recognize Heris, who absently waves her ID pass in their direction as if distracted by her purpose here. Heris strides through the elegant lobby, down a hallway, then steps through a door marked with a “Restricted Access” sign, which turns out to be some kind of access stairwell. Here she stops, and the tension they’re both feeling becomes visible on her face as soon as they’re both out of sight.

“If we made it this far, you should be okay,” she tells Galo, breathless. “Up the first flight of stairs, take a left, go past the lounge and the overlook. There’s a few security checkpoints past that point but your ID should get you through, says you’re a guard assigned to the governor’s residence. I don’t think anyone will question that right now.”

Galo nods. “If Lucia said it’ll work, it’ll work. What about you?”

“I’m going to keep a lookout downstairs. Distract them if I have to. I’m supposed to be working on the terraforming project, so a quarry accident is technically my business. Don’t count on hearing from me, but I’ll keep you updated over the comms if I can.”

“Good luck.” Before Galo turns to leave, she grips his hand suddenly.

“If I don’t see you after this… just… tell Aina…”

“No.” Galo squeezes her hand and gently but firmly pulls away. “She needs to hear it from you, so tell her yourself. We’re all making it out of this.”

Heris bites her lip and nods. “…right. Get going, Galo Thymos.”

\---

The residential areas of the complex are quiet and empty, and in Kray Foresight’s apartments, Galo feels even more cocooned from the commotion outside Oversight. It’s open and spacious, obscenely so when he compares it to the living conditions out in the settlement, and when he’s not in view of a window it feels eerily like being back on Earth. It’s a place that powerfully, palpably, belongs to Kray, even more than the rest of the Oversight facility - all clean lines, sharp angles, and cool colors. It sets Galo’s teeth on edge.

Resolving to ignore it, he takes off the helmet of his stolen Security uniform; if Lio is here, he doesn’t want him seeing another anonymous Security thug. Keeping one hand on his holstered weapon, Galo carefully proceeds through the governor’s residence, checking each room as thoroughly as he dares despite the impatience driving him forward. If he gets caught, _especially_ if he gets caught before he finds Lio, it’ll all be for nothing.

At long last, though, he opens a door and sees what is unmistakably the master bedroom; the enormous four-poster bed dominates the space, but there’s a number of other furnishings as well; some of these have attached shackles which make their function perfectly clear, and his skin crawls.

He doesn’t see the cage right away, sitting at the foot of Kray’s bed. Compared to everything else it’s small and unremarkable, an ordinary crate that might normally house a large dog. But a small noise draws his attention, the sound of something moving - or _someone._ Galo’s eyes fall on the cage, and he tenses. 

He’s found Lio.

The cage door is open, but Lio has made no move to leave it; he’s curled up on a rumpled blanket, pressed against the back of the cage. It’s not large enough for him to stretch his legs out or sit up, and Galo’s blood boils, but he forces the anger down; this isn’t the time, and he doesn’t want to scare Lio. Quietly he crouches in front of the open cage door.

“Lio?” he says softly.

Lio is incredibly still, but he’s awake. His face is so thin that it makes his eyes look disproportionately large, and they catch the light as he stares up at Galo, tense and wary. Something in his face looks slightly more lucid than when Galo saw him before, but he’s just as silent, just as defeated and dull-eyed. After a moment of studying Galo’s figure his gaze drops, nothing in his face but practiced submission. Galo tries to control his breathing, tries to shove his emotions aside.

“Lio… it’s me. It’s Galo. I’m not going to hurt you, I- I promise.” His voice cracks on the words. The image comes to mind, unbidden, of that same submissive non-expression on Lio’s face as he kneels between Galo’s legs, and his stomach twists as he tries to push that aside too. _Not right now._ If Lio hates him for that then they can deal with it once he’s safe. “Can… can you come out of there?”

For a long moment Lio doesn’t move at all, and Galo hopes he’s not going to have to reach into the cage and pull him out. The last thing he wants to do is manhandle Lio without asking, not when he’s been denied any personal autonomy for so long. But finally, _finally,_ Lio moves slowly out of the cage, and Galo scoots back to give him space. Any hope he feels when Lio starts to move dies again when Lio sits back on his knees with a smooth practiced movement, hands resting on his thighs and expression still downcast. Galo dares to move back toward him again, just a little, and Lio doesn’t respond.

This close, he can see that Lio is trembling.

“Hey,” Galo whispers, his throat tightening up. “Hey, Lio, it’s okay. I’m here. No one’s gonna hurt you.” He can’t stop his voice from shaking now, and swallows hard. But he sees a flicker of something in Lio’s face, almost just a twitch, and desperately hopes he’s not imagining it. “Can you look at me? Please?”

Lio’s definitely shaking now as he raises his eyes reluctantly, meeting Galo’s gaze with an expression like a cornered animal. It’s better than the blank submission, but it still makes Galo feel like something’s squeezing his guts with a merciless, twisting grip. He takes a shaky breath.

“Do you remember me?” he asks softly. “Do you know who I am? Because - because I remember you, Lio Fotia.” Lio flinches, even though Galo hasn’t moved. “I _remember_ you. You’re the boss of Mad Burnish. The strongest, scariest, kindest person I’ve ever met.”

“Not… you.” Lio’s voice is so soft, so hoarse, that Galo barely hears it. He’s torn his eyes away from Galo now, staring back down at the ground, but he still looks wide-eyed and trapped, trying and failing to maintain the emotionless, submissive mask he’s used to wearing. He wraps one arm around his chest, gripping his other arm with white-knuckled fingers, as if he’s physically holding himself together. “You’re dead… Galo’s dead… you’re not…”

Galo leans in closer, crouching down low to bring his face to Lio’s eye level, trying to meet his eyes. “I’m not dead, Lio,” he says gently, and cautiously extends a hand, palm up, careful not to touch Lio or get too close. “I’m here, I came for you, and I… I’m so…” Galo’s control breaks at last, and he can no longer blink back the tears forming in his eyes. “I’m so, so sorry it took me so long,” he manages, his voice choked. “But I am _never_ leaving you behind again.”

The silence stretches out, and Galo can only hear his own pulse hammering frantically in his ears. Lio stares at the ground a minute more, then at Galo’s hand, and then - so slowly, so carefully, as if the slightest motion must be thoroughly weighed and calculated - he lifts his own hand, reaches out to take hold of Galo’s with a featherlight grasp.

“Galo,” Lio whispers, slowly lifting his head to meet Galo’s eyes at last. “You’re real… you’re…” His other hand reaches out to touch Galo’s face, and Galo sits perfectly still as Lio’s trembling fingers trace the shape of his cheek, his jaw. 

“I’m real,” Galo whispers back, not daring to move, but squeezing Lio’s hand in his. “I’m right here.”

 _“Galo—”_ And Lio doesn’t move so much as he _melts,_ shedding the pent-up tension tightening his skinny shoulders and collapsing forward into Galo’s arms, pressing his body against him as if desperate for every possible inch of physical contact. After a moment’s hesitation Lio flings his arms around him too, squeezing as tightly as he can with every ounce of strength left in his starved, fragile frame. Galo can feel him shaking uncontrollably, his face buried in Galo’s shoulder as he shudders with quiet, convulsive sobs. Galo holds him as tightly as he dares; touching Lio’s back he can count every rib, every vertebra, and he can’t shake the fear that he’s going to break him. He weaves his fingers through Lio’s hair, curling a protective hand around the back of his head, tears running unchecked down his own face as Lio sobs desperately against him. “Galo… _Galo…_ ” Lio’s whispering his name over and over through his choked sobs, like it’s an incantation or a prayer, and Galo’s heart breaks. He presses his lips to the top of Lio’s head.

“I’m here, Lio,” he whispers, gently rocking him back and forth in his arms. “I’m right here.”

When Lio’s cries finally begin to quiet, Galo relaxes his grip a little, though he can’t bring himself to pull back from him yet. “We need to go now,” he murmurs into Lio’s hair. “Can you stand?”

And the tension is back in Lio’s body in an instant at those words. He pulls back from Galo, still clinging to his shoulders with both hands, but once again unable to meet his eyes. “You can’t,” he says frantically. “We can’t, I - please don’t, he won’t let me—”

“I don’t care,” Galo says, and he can’t keep the growl of anger out of his voice. Lio flinches again. “I won’t let him hurt you, Lio. I’m getting you out of here.”

Lio shakes his head, eyes wide, staring at the ground with a frantic, unfocused expression. “I can’t. I _can’t.”_ He curls forward, resting his head against Galo’s chest, his hands still gripping Galo’s shoulders so tightly his knuckles are white. “Please… please, it’s enough knowing you’re alive, it’s more than enough. If he hurts you…”

Galo pulls back from him, gently taking Lio’s hands off his shoulders and squeezing them tightly in his own. “Lio, look at me,” he pleads, and this time Lio doesn’t, though he’s far from expressionless now, his eyes wide and distraught as his body trembles. “I won’t let it happen. I promise. Do you trust me?”

Lio lets out a quiet sob, pulling one of his hands away from Galo’s to press it to his mouth, muffling the sound. After a moment, he nods slowly. “More than anything,” he breathes. “But you don’t know what he… what I… I belong to him, Galo, I’m not…” He takes a shuddering, convulsive breath, tearing his other hand away from Galo’s and wrapping his arms around himself again. “You have to leave me here. _Please.”_ His thin, hoarse voice breaks on the word, and Galo reaches for him, hesitates, not sure if he should touch him or if that would make things worse. He can’t stand the thought of being one more fucking person to put his hands on Lio without his consent, grabbing him and manhandling him without any thought to what he wants. But he might not have another choice. There’s no way he’s leaving Lio here, even if he has no idea how he’s going to get him out. If Lio struggles, protests, it’ll be that much harder to get him out without getting caught.

Before he can do or say anything else, his earpiece crackles to life, and he hears Heris’s urgent voice. “Galo, get out of there, _now._ He’s back, he’s—”

The signal cuts off abruptly, and Galo tenses. “Heris?!” His sharp, urgent voice visibly startles Lio, who flinches back from him. Galo takes a deep breath, trying to think. In the silence, Lio looks up at him again at last, his eyes filled with tears. He reaches out again, puts one shaking hand on Galo’s face.

 _“Go,”_ Lio whispers desperately.

Galo meets his eyes, and clenches his jaw. He leans in impulsively, kisses Lio’s forehead, and then stands up.

He knows exactly what he has to do.

\---

Kray is still at the site of the explosion when he gets the call from Vulcan, who has discovered that a number of the mechs used for construction and terraforming are missing. Unlike the Burnish, the human colonists don’t work through the night, and there are security measures in place to make sure everyone has checked potentially dangerous equipment back in at the end of the day. There’s no reason any of the machinery should be missing - it’s clear that this only happened because everyone was distracted by the accident by the quarry, leaving holes in security for non-essential areas… like the construction zones manned by humans. Vulcan sounds both angry and apologetic, but Kray is immediately too distracted to berate him. He leaves for Oversight immediately, brushing off Biar’s protests, his heart pounding in his chest.

He’s furious with himself. _An accident. Of course it wasn’t an accident._ He’d left Lio behind, believing he’d be far safer in the apartment, and now he’s terrified he played right into his enemies’ hands. It’s not the kind of attack he expected from Thymos; the transport destroyed by the explosion was full of Burnish prisoners, and he would have thought the brat too sentimental to allow that kind of collateral damage. But then, it seems like Omega Centauri has changed him. Kray has even enjoyed it a little, seeing how subdued Galo has become when he invited him to dine in the Oversight complex. It was about time the idiot grew up a little; without his boundless exuberance and stupid grin, he’s almost tolerable. But now Kray realizes he’d underestimated him, mistaken Galo’s bitterness for resignation. It’s not. All of that anger, that hatred - it hasn’t turned inward after all. It’s fueling him, driving him in a way that’s made him far more dangerous than Kray could have known.

And because he hadn’t seen it, he’s put Lio at risk. Just when Lio has finally started to know his place, truly submitting to him at last…

He bursts into his apartment, which at first glance seems still and quiet, just as he’d left it. “Lio!” he calls out, and heads straight for his bedroom without waiting for a reply. He can’t imagine the quiet, pliant thing Lio has become responding loudly enough to be heard, anyway. When he bursts into the room, the bed is rumpled but empty, and his heart nearly stops for a moment before he catches a slight movement out of the corner of his eye and realizes that Lio has returned to his cage, curled up inside and peering out through the half-closed door with wide eyes. Kray breathes a quiet sigh of relief, and crouches down in front of the cage.

“Lio, come here,” he says, and Lio crawls out of his cage, trembling slightly. Kray frowns at the look on his face. He’s visibly upset. He’s been crying. Did leaving in the middle of the night really upset his pet that badly? Or has something else happened? Another of his nightmares, or…

“You didn’t need to wait for me in there,” he says, cupping Lio’s jaw in his hand and lifting his face. “Did something happen? Was anyone else here while I was gone?”

Lio shakes his head, but he’s trembling harder than before under Kray’s touch, looking absolutely terrified. Kray narrows his eyes. Lio is, of course, prone to his little fits of despondence and fear even now, but something about this feels… off. Lio should have been peacefully resting while Kray was gone, even if it was in his cage. He seems too awake for this to be because of a nightmare.

“You’re not in trouble, pet,” Kray says, his voice soft. “As long as you tell me the truth. Did someone come here while I was gone?”

Lio flinches, his eyes wet. Before he can answer, however, there’s a loud crack behind them and a sudden, intense pain in Kray’s right shoulder. Instinctively he dives forward, shielding Lio’s small body with his own and shoving him into the floor. There’s another shot, but his sudden movement causes it to miss them both. Snarling, Kray turns, and realizes he’s not at all surprised to see Galo Thymos, standing in the doorway in a stolen Security uniform, pointing a gun straight at Kray’s head. The furious look on his face is so merciless that Kray is almost impressed. He wouldn’t have thought the boy had it in him. But he can already tell it’s not going to be enough. He’s still alive after the best opportunity Galo is likely to ever get, and that tells him all he needs to know.

He didn’t underestimate Galo after all. Galo is just as disappointing as he’s always been.

“Don’t fucking _touch him,”_ Galo snarls, as if he thinks he’s still in control here. He makes a small gesture with the gun. “Get up. Now.”

Kray slowly straightens, careful to still keep himself in front of Lio. His pet’s distress makes more sense now. Galo must have hidden himself. _Lio_ must have seen him before he did so. The fact that Lio was not willing to tell his master about it is… troubling. Kray would have thought him better trained than that by now.

It’s time to put a stop to this. Failure or not, Thymos has been a thorn in his side for far too long.

Carefully, keeping his hands up, Kray stands, as if he’s following Galo’s orders. Lio, in a panic, clings instinctively to his leg. Normally, it’d be almost endearing, but under the circumstances he’s a liability. Impatiently Kray shakes him off. “Get down,” he snaps, and Lio obediently curls down into the floor, shaking.

He doesn’t have a gun, but he doesn’t really need one. Kray turns to Galo, hands still in the air, taking a step toward him, and then another, slow and measured. Galo keeps his weapon trained on him but doesn’t fire yet, and Kray smiles inwardly. _Still too weak, in the end._

“Stay where you are!” Galo snaps, and Kray can hear a slight quaver in his voice. As angry as he is, as much as he might think he’s bent on revenge, in the end it looks like he can’t quite bring himself to pull the trigger now that they’re face to face. Kray locks eyes with him.

“Calm down,” he says softly, and takes another step. “I just want to talk.”

And then he lunges. Galo’s reaction time is good, but not quite good enough; he fires, but Kray is leading with his left side and the bullet glances harmlessly off his metal arm. Then he’s close enough to grab Galo’s wrist and twists it sharply to disarm him; he feels something crack, and Galo cries out and drops the gun. Kray kicks it away impatiently, then punches Galo hard in the gut with his left arm, following up with a kick to his knee to make sure he goes down.

“You really thought that would work, didn’t you?” he says, his lips curling in a hard, satisfied smile. “You haven’t learned anything.” Kray kicks him in the ribs, hard as he can, and Galo lets out a wheezing cry of pain. “You were never a threat,” he hisses. “You’re not even worth calling an enemy. You’re a _pest._ A blight on this colony I should never have allowed to live.”

His comm unit chimes, and he hears the voice of one of his guards outside in his earpiece. He’d left them behind in his haste to get to Lio, and they must have just now caught up to him. “Sir? Everything okay? Do you need help?”

“No need, commander,” Kray says, staring down at Galo’s prone form. Galo shifts, gasping, trying to push himself back up, and Kray kicks him back down and pins him easily with a boot on his throat, pressing hard enough to make the other man gasp and choke desperately. “Just… taking out the trash. Stand down.”

The line cuts off, and Kray is able to turn his full attention to the pathetic figure at his feet, smiling slightly. He really should have finished this long ago, shouldn’t have allowed colony management and sentiment and Lio to distract him from what needed to be done. Galo is still struggling, but it’s clear that he doesn’t have the strength to win this. Defiantly he glares up at Kray, trembling, clutching at his injured side with one hand. “I won’t… let you get away with this,” he gasps out, shuddering with the exertion of speaking against the pressure at his throat.

Kray lets out a short laugh. He pulls his foot back for the moment, and Galo coughs and clutches at his bruised throat. “You always were a little slow,” he says. “And this time, you’re well over a year too late. _I’ve already won._ History will remember me a hero. The savior of mankind. And you…” He pauses, tilts his head slightly as if considering it. “I don’t think history will bother remembering you at all.”

He brings his foot down, hard, into the side of Galo’s face.


	4. Chapter 4

Gueira is screaming.

It’s horrible, and it’s so like the footage Heris had shown them of the Foresight Foundation’s terrible experiments that Lucia’s hand hovers over the emergency shutoff, unsure. But Gueira’s still aware enough to notice, and snaps at her, his voice ragged with pain as he hangs onto the side of the engine chamber to keep himself upright.

“No! Don’t… don’t you dare,” he snarls, his chest heaving with exertion. “Boss is… counting on us… I can- I can handle this!”

Lucia is not at all sure that’s true. Gueira’s breathing is visibly labored, sweat beading on his brow. Should it be taking this much out of him? The Ardefex Engine is supposed to draw power without causing permanent damage, like the Deus X Machina, but she and Heris both knew that it was likely to be uncomfortable, if not outright painful. They just don’t have the resources that Dr. Prometh did, and they’re well aware that this is a crude prototype in comparison to his design. Gueira, Lucia reminds herself, knew the risks going in, but that doesn’t stop her from questioning everything she’s doing right now.

Gueira is already visibly damaged by his ordeal in the Prometech Engine, after all - but then there’s no Burnish that _isn’t,_ so it’s not as if they had a better, safer choice. And Heris is the expert on this technology, not her. Lucia has no way of knowing what’s normal, or safe. She’s already tried to reach Heris once, and got no reply. Her silence is not really cause for concern, not yet; if she and Galo are in the middle of infiltrating Oversight, then of course they can’t risk communicating. _Still._ Lucia’s whole body is wound tight with stress.

There’s no avoiding the fact that to her untrained eyes, Gueira looks like a man nearing his limit, if he hasn’t already passed it. According to her readouts, his body heat is steadily rising, which may or may not be a good thing; meanwhile the oxygen in his bloodstream is starting to decline, which almost certainly _isn’t._ And there’s no sign of triangle-shaped voids in the sky, no sign they’ve gathered enough power to generate warp energy at all. Lucia’s hand clenches on the console, her eyes glued to Gueira’s form, now a dark silhouette surrounded by a blinding white glow as the Ardefex Engine draws on his Burnish energy.

She tries, again, to reach Heris over the comms. There’s still no answer. Lucia bites her lip. “Hurry,” she whispers, though she’s not sure if she’s urging Heris, or Gueira, or the Promare themselves.

“We’ve got incoming!” Aina’s shout from the edge of the forest is quickly followed by gunfire, and the sounds of heavy clanking as the militia’s stolen mechs form up to meet the enemy. Nestled back among the almost-trees, Lucia doesn’t have a good vantage point of the battle, and it almost makes it worse to try and watch. It’s impossible to tell if the militia is gaining or losing ground to Security, and after a while she resolutely turns her gaze back on the engine, on a situation she can - at least in theory - impact. She can monitor Gueira’s life signs, and pull him out if the energy draw becomes too much for him. She doesn’t have to sit here and watch him die.

Except if she pulls him out too soon, far more people than Gueira are going to die, and Galo and Heris might well be among them. Lucia hunches forward, pulls her goggles down over her eyes to keep them from watering in the cool night air, and tries to reach Heris once again.

Radio silence. 

\---

The only thought running through Lio’s head, over and over, is that he’s going to have to watch Galo die. Again.

He’s frozen, huddled on the floor where Kray left him as he watches Kray unleashing his rage, inflicting a savage, unrelenting beating on Galo’s prone body. It’s like he’s lost his mind. He kicks Galo in the face, then stomps down hard on his chest, over and over, until something _breaks._ Lio hears a horrible crunch, sees blood bubbling up from Galo’s mouth as he coughs and gasps. Despite all of it Galo is still trying to fight back or get away, but Kray doesn’t let up for a second, and there’s no opening for Galo to escape him or turn the tables. Galo is crying out, almost sobbing, and Lio is sobbing too, despite his desperate efforts not to make a sound. He’s sunk his teeth into his hand in his attempts to muffle the sounds, and he can taste blood.

Bleeding and broken, one arm hanging limp at an unnatural angle, Galo manages to push himself up to his knees, only for Kray to grab him by the hair and slam his head back down. There’s an awful crack as his skull hits the floor. Kray straightens, and Galo doesn’t move, and Lio’s mind is… static.

He can’t do this again. He can’t. He can’t he can’t he can’t—

Lio’s body lurches forward as his thoughts are consumed by a single soundless scream of panic, scrambling past Kray on his hands and knees to fling himself on Galo’s motionless body. He has no idea what he hopes to accomplish, and he’s past the point of caring. He can’t stop this, can’t fight his master, can’t even look at him; all he can do is cling to Galo with all his strength, shielding as much of his body as he can manage. Galo’s still breathing, though barely; it looks like he’s been knocked out cold. He’s going to die, and it’s going to be all Lio’s fault, because all he’s ever managed to accomplish is to ruin everything and everyone he swore to protect—

“Lio.” He hears his master’s voice, deadly cold, sending shivers of panic through Lio’s body. “What do you think you’re doing?”

Lio can’t bear to look at him, burying his face in Galo’s chest instead. “Please,” he whispers, unable to manage much more than that. Galo stirs slightly, coming to, and Lio feels him trying in vain to push Lio off of him.

“Lio… run,” he croaks weakly. “You have… you have to get out of here…”

“Get out of my way,” Kray says, his voice still horribly calm. Lio feels sick with fear. “I don’t want to hurt you.”

Lio’s only response to both of them is to frantically shake his head, clinging to Galo harder than ever. He can’t stop this, but he’s not moving. Part of him hopes his master will just give up and kill him along with Galo. A more rational corner of his mind knows he won’t be so lucky.

Even so, he’s not leaving Galo.

He hears a snarl of frustration and then Kray is grabbing his hair, yanking his head up and bending his neck back at a painfully sharp angle so he’s forced to look up into his master’s face. Lio sobs with pain and fear but refuses to loosen his grip on Galo, still clinging to him with all his strength, even though everything in him is screaming at him to prostrate himself and beg forgiveness. The look on his master’s face is downright murderous.

“So this is how it’s going to be, pet?” Kray spits, with none of the warmth that usually comes into his voice when he calls Lio that. His face is so distorted with fury that he barely looks human. “Then _so be it._ You’re going to watch him die, and I’m going to make you remember who owns you.”

Kray bodily drags Lio off of Galo and flings him to the ground. Lio cries out in protest, impotent terror rising in his chest with nowhere to go. There’s a ringing in his ears drowning everything else out, even his own thoughts, like a wordless scream of pain and fear echoing within his own mind until it’s so loud it hurts. When he tries to scramble back to Galo, Kray grabs Lio by the throat and hauls him up into the air. Lio kicks and struggles feebly, grabbing at the hand squeezing his windpipe until there’s blackness eating at the edges of his vision, stars bursting in the darkness like frantic embers.

Someone’s screaming, and it can’t be him because he doesn’t have the strength - he thinks Galo might be calling his name but he’s not sure. To his oxygen-starved mind it sounds almost like a chorus of voices, an unearthly shriek of pain echoing and amplifying his own. In his mind, instinctively, he reaches out for - something - he doesn’t remember what he’s trying to accomplish, trying to reach something that _should be there_ and _isn’t_ and the emptiness would make him scream if he had any breath left in his lungs.

 _Help me,_ he begs silently, uselessly, as if it makes a difference whether he speaks aloud or not - there isn’t anybody left who can help him. _Please—_

“Did you forget what you are, pet?” Kray snarls into his face. “You’re _mine._ You’re _nothing. Say it!”_

His hand loosens slightly on Lio’s throat, allowing him just enough air to speak. Lio sobs, the screaming cacophony in his mind only heightening. He should relent, he should give Kray what he wants, it’s the only thing that has ever stopped the pain. But the trained response doesn’t come as easily as it should, drowned out by pain, grief - for Galo beaten half to death at Kray’s feet, for the void he still can’t stop reaching for inside him - Lio shakes his head mutely, tears streaming down his face. He doesn’t even hear himself answer, his voice a tiny, pathetic gasp. “No…”

Kray’s eyes widen a fraction, his pupils shrunk to slits. “What did you say to me?” he says softly, his voice barely above a whisper.

“NO!” Lio’s voice breaks into a scream, ragged and desperate, and as he screams the howls of grief and agony inside him swell to a fever pitch, filling the void in his chest, coursing through his veins as if they were never gone. He hears words in the shrieking, now- or not words, not exactly, but he can understand them all the same. He’s always been able to understand them. They might as well be his own voice, amplifying his own anguish, his terror and pain - until it’s all too massive to be contained, and Lio’s body bursts into flame.

The force of it pushes Kray backwards, and Lio drops, landing heavily on his hands and knees. Slowly he stands, breathing hard, still wreathed in a maelstrom of fire. He can hear them, their cries - their _fury,_ which is distinctly and recognizably not his own; he’s been wrapped up in pain and fear for so long, he’s not sure he knows how to be angry anymore. But the flames remember, and they scream for him, feeling his torment. Lio stares at his hands, transfixed by the sight of flames he never thought he’d see again, burning tears falling down his cheeks.

They’ve been reaching for him for so long. All this time, they still felt his pain. And it’s been so long since they had anything to burn but themselves.

A few feet away, Kray sits up from where he’d fallen, staring at Lio with open confusion and horror. “How…?” He struggles up to his feet, shaking off his dismay. “No matter,” he spits. “Did you forget we’re the same? Burn all you like, it won’t change a thing!”

Lio knows. But the Promare don’t seem to care. They rear forward like impatient horses, ready to surge outward, to destroy everything with the force of Lio’s pain, held back only by the tenuous thread of his own will. And Lio finds he no longer has any good reason to stop them.

He stretches out his hand, closes his eyes and lets them loose.

The flames fill the room and Lio loses himself in the inferno, head tilted back, with a tenuous sense that he’s not sure where his body ends and the flames begin. He feels the moment they close in on Kray, feels their hatred for his master and wonders when he stopped feeling that for himself. 

They can’t hurt Kray for all their wrath, of course. Kray snarls, and Lio opens his eyes to see him holding up a hand, shielding himself with his own flames. And Lio _hears them;_ he’s never sensed another Burnish’s flames like this, didn’t even know it was possible, but he can hear them like they’re his own. He can hear them fighting. It’s as if Kray’s connection to the Promare is breaking, thread by thread, as they reject him. Little by little his shield fades, absorbed into the uncontrollable firestorm around Lio. Kray stumbles back a step, gasping in shock.

The fury of the Promare folds around Lio like a cloak and he lets it carry him, lets them feel everything he cannot, and it makes him feel just slightly less empty. They bear down on Kray, corner him, and Lio can see nothing beyond the whirling fire surrounding them both. Lio doesn’t know if he can control it anymore. He is far, far too tired to try. Kray is still fighting, his chest heaving and the expression on his face nearing panic, but all the flames he tries to summon only flicker away as soon as they leave his hand.

He doesn’t know how he manages to force Kray down, but he’s standing over him now, a strange mirror image of all the times Lio sprawled helpless at Kray’s feet. His fingers twitch. Kray’s clutching at his throat, gasping, and Lio suddenly realizes what’s happening. He’s suffocating. Lio’s flames are burning the very air from Kray’s lungs. Lio can feel their rage, their intent. They can’t burn him, but they can snuff him out. They are bent on it.

 _This one hurts us,_ Lio feels the flames hiss around him, knows he’s included in that sense of protective, damaged belonging. They are part of him, he is part of them, and they will not forgive Kray for trying to extinguish him. _Never. Never again._

“Stop,” Kray gasps, and something hard and unfamiliar prickles in Lio’s chest. No matter how many times he said that, Kray never stopped. Kray never held back. He kneels, leaning over Kray’s prone form, and slowly wraps his hands around his master’s neck. He’s not strong enough, he thinks, to actually hurt him this way. It’s okay. He doesn’t have to be.

Kray reaches out, tries to grab Lio’s wrist, and Lio instinctively smacks his hand away with a convulsive shudder.

“ _Don’t,_ ” he says, sharp and breathless. “Don’t… don’t touch me.”

“Lio,” Kray says softly, staring steadily up at him, and Lio can’t quite read his expression.

“Enough,” Lio whispers, his hands shaking on Kray’s throat as tears continue to fall down his face. “You will never… _never_ … touch me again.”

Kray keeps staring up at him. He doesn’t look angry anymore, or even afraid. His eyes bore into Lio’s, reflecting the light of the flames. “My beautiful Lio,” he gasps out, almost smiling, and reaches up towards Lio’s face. His fingers just barely manage to reach the ends of Lio’s hair before they begin to dissolve. Kray’s hand drops and crumbles into ash when it hits the ground, the rest of his body quickly following suit. Lio stares at his glassy, empty eyes until they’re gone too, nothing left but ashes beneath Lio’s knees.

His breathing quickens, his heart threatening to pound out of his chest. Lio wraps his arms around himself tightly, gasping for breath, shaking uncontrollably as tears roll down his cheeks. The flames whisper to him but he can’t hear them, can hear nothing but his blood pounding in his ears. He’s still burning but he’s cold, so cold. He’s not sure he’ll ever be warm again.

Lio curls in on himself, trembling, unable to move or think or speak, aware only of the crushing weight pushing in around him as the flames rage and his master crumbles into dust underneath him.

\---

“Nobody move,” roars an all-too-familiar voice, and Aina growls to herself inside her mech. So Vulcan’s finally made it to the fight. It makes her wonder what he’s been doing all this time, makes her twinge with nerves as she thinks of Galo and Heris - and then she actually catches sight of Vulcan and her heart stops.

He’s holding Heris by the neck, out in front of him like a human shield. She’s alive but gasping for breath, her hands grabbing uselessly at the enormous gauntlet gripping her throat. “Lay down your weapons and shut down your mechs, or I’ll snap her neck,” he spits, his face twisted in a cruel, mocking grin.

Aina has already lowered her weapon, and shakily pulls her hands back from the controls. Around her it looks like others are doing the same; nearby, Ignis has raised his hands to show he’s not touching his mech’s controls, his face ashen. She hears a strangled cry of dismay.

“What are you doing?” Heris cries, struggling to get enough air in her lungs to call out. “F-forget about me! Shoot him!”

No one listens to her; the fighting has effectively halted. Aina stares in horror, but she doesn’t make a move either. She can’t. She can’t risk Heris, even after everything. _It’s really over, isn’t it?_ The engine must have failed. The Burnish aren’t coming. And if Security has Heris, then Galo must be…

Before she can even finish her thought, fire bursts up around Vulcan and engulfs him entirely.

Dark, sleek armor-clad figures appear amidst the flames, attacking the Security forces without mercy. There’s at least a dozen of them, if not more, and without freezing weapons Colonial Security is nearly defenseless against them. Mad Burnish has returned.

Aina can barely spare a glance for them. “HERIS!” She springs down from her mech, runs toward the spot where Vulcan went up in flames - and finds her sister sitting on the ground where she’d fallen from Vulcan’s grasp, unharmed despite the pale blue flames flickering around her. She stares up at Aina, eyes wide, and then looks over at the Burnish.

“But… I— why?”

“They protected you.” Aina feels tears of relief spring to her eyes. “They - they didn’t want to hurt you.” _I don’t want you to die either—_ Aina can’t get the words out, swallowing past a lump in her throat.

One of the Burnish stops next to them, tall and alien in his slender black-and-blue armor. “Where’s Gueira?” is all he says, his voice sharp and tense.

Aina points shakily. “Back there,” she says. She recognizes his armor; it must be Meis, the other of Mad Burnish’s generals. “How - how did you know where—”

“I felt him,” Meis says simply, and then sprints back toward the machine. Heris stands up, takes one last awed look at the flames now dissipating from her body, and runs after him. Aina follows.

When she catches up to them, Meis is no longer wearing his armor and he’s pulled Gueira out of the Ardefex Engine, cradling him in his arms. There’s an unhealthy pallor to his face, and his breathing is labored. “Gueira! _Gueira!_ ” The raw desperation in Meis’s voice makes Aina’s breath catch.

Heris and Lucia are leaning over them, and Heris’s expression is distraught. “I’m sorry,” she whispers. “I’m so sorry, I- I was so sure we could make it work without hurting him-”

Then Gueira coughs, spasming in Meis’s arms, and his one arm grips the front of Meis’s shirt. His eyes open, unfocused and hazy. “M… Meis? That you?” he gasps out hoarsely. “Am I… dead, or did it work?”

Meis responds by pulling Gueira’s body up into his arms and holding him tightly. “Don’t ever do that to me again, you idiot,” he says, his voice muffled in Gueira’s shoulder. Gueira lets out either a laugh or a sob, or both, wrapping his arm around Meis’s back.  
“Wasn’t planning on it,” he whispers.

There’s the sound of footsteps behind them, and Aina turns to see Ignis coming through the trees with one of the armored Mad Burnish beside him.

“Took care of the last of the bastards around here,” says the Burnish. “Is he okay?”

Gueira pulls back from Meis’s embrace and straightens. “I’m okay,” he says, though he doesn’t sound entirely okay still, breathless and hoarse. “It worked, didn’t it? They’re back. The flames are back.”

“They’re back,” Meis agrees softly. He glances up at the others, a questioning look in his face. “Is Boss still…?”

Aina’s stomach lurches. “Heris, where’s Galo?” she asks quietly.

Heris’s face falls. “He went to the governor’s apartments and that was the last I saw him,” she says. “When Kray arrived I tried to warn him and stall for time, but I was arrested before I could do anything, I… don’t know what happened.”

“We have to go after him,” Aina says fiercely.

Meis and Gueira climb to their feet, no longer leaning on one another, though Meis is still gripping Gueira’s hand tightly. “That’s exactly what we’re going to do,” Meis says firmly. “It’s time to storm Colonial Oversight.” He glances over at Ignis. “Never thought I’d be saying this to a damn Burning Rescue captain, but - wanna come with? We could use the backup if there’s trouble.”

Ignis chuckles dryly. “Pretty sure you don’t need us, considering you’re the ones who saved us just now. But you don’t even have to ask. We’re not leaving Galo behind.”

Aina clenches her fists. “Yeah. Let’s end this.”

\---

Painted in flames, the room is unrecognizable. The inferno blazes up to the ceiling, licks at the walls. Kray’s enormous bed is a smoking wreck, and the cage at its foot has started to melt. But Galo feels none of it. For the second time, he looks down at himself and sees his body shielded by flame, and tears spring to his eyes. Lio’s flame. In his bunk on the Parnassus he’d watched the little flame in his hands get smaller and smaller, believing he was watching Lio’s very life burn out. He’d sobbed when it vanished, hadn’t left his bunk for days. 

But he was wrong, back then. It hadn’t died. It had never even really left him. Lio’s last act of protection has been with him all this time, dormant and waiting. 

“Lio!” Galo isn’t sure he dares try to stand just yet, but he has to find Lio. He spots him, finally, huddled on the ground, still so wreathed in flames that it looks as if his very body is made of fire. Gasping in pain, Galo makes his way over to him, half-crawling and half-dragging himself with the one arm that’s still functioning properly. When he gets close Lio lifts his head and turns to look at him sharply, making Galo startle. He wasn’t expecting him to move like that.

Lio stares at him, still as stone, and Galo stares back. There’s something strange about his eyes, guarded and burning despite the fiery tears running down his face. It takes a minute for Galo to realize what it makes him think of. _The dragon._

And suddenly, he understands what he’s looking at.

“It’s you, isn’t it?” he says softly. “You’re protecting him. Like you protected me.” He holds out his hand, watching the little blue flame flicker and burn. “It’s… it’s okay now. You’re safe. Both of you.”

Lio looks at the flame in Galo’s hand, too, then back up at his face. “ _ **We hurt,**_ ” Lio hisses, and it’s his voice but it’s _not_ at the same time. The words crackle when he speaks. “ _ **No more hurt. No more.**_ ”

A shiver runs down Galo’s spine. He’s not sure whether it’s Lio speaking or his Promare, or both, and he’s not sure if it matters. They both feel Lio’s pain. And despite the incongruous calm of the Promare peering out through his eyes, Lio is still sobbing soundlessly, shivering, arms wrapped around himself. Galo inches closer, reaches out gently without actually trying to touch him yet. “Yeah,” he whispers. “I know. No more hurt, Lio.” More than anything he wants to close the last few inches between them, to hold Lio as he had earlier, but he can’t. He has to let Lio move first. “I won’t hurt you. Not ever. I _promise._ ” Lio stares up at him, intent and focused. “Whatever happens, we face it together, okay? I’m staying with you. No matter what.” His voice wobbles, and he clenches his jaw. Lio leans forward, reaches right past his hand to touch his face, where he gently wipes some tears from Galo’s cheek. He still burns, but Galo doesn’t feel the fire. Only warmth.

He thinks he sees Lio - or his Promare - smile at him, just slightly. Then the cold flicker recedes from his eyes and it’s Lio again, really Lio, staring at him with his eyes filling up with tears. Wordlessly he leans in and huddles against Galo’s body, shivering. Slowly the flames subside until it’s just Lio, leaning into Galo’s chest as they sit in the middle of a charred, burned-out room. Galo rubs his back, but when his fingers brush against the back of Lio’s neck Lio suddenly jerks backward.

“I’m sorry-” But Lio doesn’t look scared or upset; his brows are furrowed as he rubs at his neck, which Galo now realizes is bare. The collar is gone, burned away entirely.

“You took it off,” Lio says uncertainly, looking at Galo. Galo finds himself smiling slightly despite himself, and he shakes his head.

“No,” he says. “You did.”

“I…” Lio keeps rubbing at his neck, looking dazed. Galo can see scars there, thin white lines where the edges of the collar used to press into his skin. On impulse he reaches out and folds his hand over Lio’s, gently squeezing.

“You’re free,” Galo says softly. “No one owns you, Lio Fotia.”

Lio leans in against him again, this time wrapping his thin arms around Galo’s torso. Galo winces, even that slight touch uncomfortable against his broken ribs, but he’d put up with far worse pain to be able to hold Lio like this. “I killed him,” Lio whispers. “I don’t- I don’t know what I’m supposed to do now.”

“I think you get to decide,” Galo says. He puts his good arm around Lio’s thin shoulders. “Do you want to find out together?”

Lio trembles. Nods. “I want— I want—” He gulps back a sob, shudders. “I want to leave,” he whispers, as if he doesn’t quite dare say it any more loudly. “I want to leave with you. Please.”

“Then let’s go home, Lio,” Galo whispers into his hair, holding him as tightly as he can. _Home._ Home doesn’t exist anymore for either of them, but - maybe it can. Maybe even this colony could become a home, one day, if Lio’s right here with him. “Let’s go home.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter will be the last one in the series proper, winding down and tying up loose ends. Thanks for making it this far with me, y'all!


	5. Chapter 5

The sun is rising.

Lio squints, looking up into the sky, already bright enough that it takes a minute for his eyes to adjust. He’s never been outside at this time of day before, and it’s downright dazzling. He feels Galo’s hand on his shoulder, and realizes he’s stopped short just outside the gates to Oversight.

“You okay?” Galo murmurs.

Slowly, Lio nods. “I didn’t realize… the sun here was this big and red,” he whispers. 

“Yeah. It’s not usually that huge-looking. I think it’s because of the Promare. Lucia said something like that might happen if we got them to come here, but it should settle down in a day or two.”

The Promare. He’s going to have to ask Galo how that happened, but right now he honestly doesn’t care; it doesn’t matter next to the undeniable fact that they’re _here._ Despite the dull ache in his own heart, they aren’t screaming any longer; he can still hear them, though, if he closes his eyes and listens. They sing to him, joyous, burning continuously in the heart of Omega Centauri’s sun as they’d once done in their own star. They are finally, he realizes, where they are supposed to be. Even back on Earth, he never felt such contentment from them, and the weight in his chest seems to lessen, just a little.

He presses close into Galo’s side as the two of them limp out into the sunlight. Galo’s got his arm wound tightly around Lio’s shoulders, even though he’s clearly in pain, limping and leaning on Lio as much as Lio is leaning on him. Lio has the jacket of Galo’s stolen security uniform wrapped around his body; it’s big enough on him that it nearly comes down to his knees, and Lio’s got his arms crossed tightly across his chest to keep it in place. It’s awkward and heavy and Lio feels strange wearing it, like he’s taken something not meant for him. There’s a part of him that keeps expecting someone to tell him to take it off.

Still, he’s grateful to be clothed as they meet the gathered forces of the rebellion outside Oversight. Lio finds himself staring in amazement; there are so many people, most wearing work coveralls that resemble those given to the imprisoned Burnish, armed with construction mechs and makeshift weapons. And some- a lump in his throat forms as he realizes there actually are Burnish among them, identifiable by their missing limbs and thin, ragged appearance, some of them partially armored and recognizably Mad Burnish. There is not a Security officer in sight. These people are in control here. He had no idea there were so many people who were willing to fight against what Kray represented, so many willing to stand side by side with the Burnish. He stares up at Galo, eyes wide.

“You made this happen,” he whispers. “Didn’t you?”

Galo squeezes his shoulder. “I only gave them an excuse, really,” he says, shrugging. He actually looks embarrassed, and Lio smiles slightly.

“You did this,” he whispers, firmly, and leans his head against Galo’s side.

“Galo!” A pink-haired woman breaks away from a conversation she’s having and runs toward them. “Lio! You made it!”

He recognizes her distantly as Galo’s friend from Burning Rescue, the pilot. Galo’s face lights up at the sight of her. “Aina!”

Galo lets go of Lio long enough to embrace her, but Lio can see the alarm that crosses her face when she puts her arms around him and he winces in pain. She pulls back, looking him up and down. “You’re hurt.”

“I’m fine, honestly,” Galo says, but his voice is audibly tight with pain. Aina clearly doesn’t buy it.

“Yeah, no, we’re getting you to the medics. _Right now._ ” Sternly Aina starts leading him away, and Lio tenses in sudden unease. He’s not sure if he’s supposed to follow them, but he feels suddenly, intensely vulnerable without Galo’s weight leaning into his shoulder. Galo looks over his shoulder and looks like he’s about to say something, but then his gaze shifts to something behind Lio, and he smiles slightly.

“Boss!!”

Two familiar voices ring out, practically in unison, and Lio turns to see Meis and Gueira shove their way through the crowd and come sprinting toward him. He barely has time to process what’s going on before they’ve grabbed him in a tight hug, sandwiched between them. It’s so sudden that he jerks and tenses up, but it doesn’t take long for him to relax into them. The feeling of them pressed into him, their arms around him, even their scent - it’s so familiar it’s overwhelming. It’s like he’s been transported back in time, and when he squeezes his eyes shut he can pretend, for a moment, that none of the past year ever happened.

“Boss…”

“Oh, shit,” Gueira murmurs, and they pull back from him, though not too far. Lio opens his eyes and realizes he’s crying again, tears blurring their faces as he looks up at them. “Sorry, I should’ve been more careful—”

Lio smiles through his tears, tries to speak and can’t. So instead he wraps his arms around both of their waists and pulls them in toward him again, clutching them so tightly he’s shaking slightly. It takes a while for anyone to speak after that, as all three of them sink to the ground and cling to each other. Lio’s face is pressed up into Meis’s chest, dampening his chest with his tears. Gueira’s hand has found Lio’s on Meis’s side and is holding it tightly. Meis is resting the side of his head against the top of Lio’s. They’re so tangled up together that it’s difficult to tell whose limbs are where, but it doesn’t matter. They’re _here,_ warm and solid and alive in Lio’s arms, together and safe. Judging from the hitch in Meis’s breathing and the quiet sniffs from Guiera, Lio isn’t the only one weeping inconsolably at having his family reunited at last.

Finally they pull back from each other, red-eyed and damp-faced. Lio stares up at his friends’ faces, unable to tear his gaze away, part of him unwilling to believe this is real - but each of them is still holding one of his hands, grounding him. “You’re alive,” he whispers. “You’re really here.”

“Yeah. Together again.” Gueira grins. “And we’re _free._ It’s finally over.”

Lio’s gaze drifts to Gueira’s left arm - metallic black and red, his Burnish armor replacing rather than covering the missing limb. Meis’s right leg, he notices, looks similar. So the Promare haven’t brought back what they lost. He swallows hard. Gueira sees the change in his expression, follows his gaze, and squeezes his hand reassuringly.

“Don’t worry,” he says gently. “It’s all right. We’ll adapt. We always have.”

Lio still feels a lump in his throat. “All this time, you two… everyone… you’ve been suffering and I- I’m sorry I couldn’t do more, I’m sorry I let him use me against you, I—”

“None of that,” Meis says, putting a hand on his shoulder. “Or none of us will ever _stop_ apologizing. It… it about killed us, knowing you were trapped in there and we couldn’t do a damn thing about it. But we’re not gonna get anywhere dwelling on it. Boss… Lio… none of this is your fault. I don’t blame you. None of us do.”

Lio shudders in spite of himself and looks away. “You wouldn’t say that,” he murmurs, “if you knew what… the _things_ I’ve done, what he…”

“Shhh.” Meis pulls him close again as he starts to cry again, and he feels Gueira’s arms wrapping around them both. It used to be so rare, the times he’d allow himself to lean on them like this. He can’t help it now; he has nothing left to give them. “We Burnish know better than anyone what it is to do ugly things to survive.”

“We love you, Boss,” Gueira says, muffled, squeezing them both. “There’s not a thing that could change that.”

Lio hiccups into Meis’s chest. “I’m not…” He tenses, feeling like he should pull away, but he can’t bring himself to do it. “I’m not the Mad Burnish Boss anymore, I’m not what you remember, I’m…” _Just a pet,_ prompts the back of his mind, insidiously automatic. Lio shakes his head vigorously. Maybe he is, but he can’t admit to it, not to them. “I can’t be…”

Meis pulls back just far enough that he can rest his forehead against Lio’s and takes one of his hands, placing it between them where they can both see it. A flame flickers to life in their joined hands - Meis’s flame, warm and familiar against Lio’s skin. “You’re one of us. You’re Burnish. This… right here… is still who you are.” Meis smiles at him, tired and worn but full of affection. “You don’t always have to be the one to keep it lit.”

“Yeah.” Gueira joins hands with them, adding his flame to his partner’s. “Let us carry it for now. Just like you’ve always done for us.”

Lio watches the flames dance around their hands, warm and alive, the light blurring and shifting into fantastical shapes as he watches it through wet eyes. Tentatively, part of him afraid of going up in flames again the way he did back inside, Lio reaches - and feels his flame join theirs, sparking upwards, brighter than ever. Slowly he begins breathing more deeply, closing his eyes to focus on the feeling of fire hot and alive in his hand, watching the light glow through his eyelids. 

He doesn’t know if he believes them yet. It’s been a long time, he thinks, since there was fire of any sort inside him. But maybe… maybe there’s still a few embers. Maybe, with time, he can rekindle them.

\---

There’s a medical tent set up not far from Oversight, staffed by a couple of Heris’s colleagues. It looks like they were expecting more casualties than they wound up with, because the only other people there when Aina brings Galo in are a few thin, bedraggled-looking people who are clearly Burnish, suffering not from recent injuries but from long-term neglect and the lasting effects of powering the engine. Galo’s stomach clenches when he sees them, thinking of Lio. He feels a little unsettled, antsy, without Lio at his side, but leaving him with his generals was clearly the right decision. The look on Lio’s face as they embraced him, laughing and crying at the same time, makes him want to start weeping again.

Lio will need medical attention as well, Galo’s certain of that. His immediate injuries seem to have healed when the fire washed over him - the bruises that had littered his ribs and neck and thighs were gone by the time Galo got to him after Kray’s death. But he’s still so thin, and Galo worries about the way he’s still limping. His first priority will have to be getting someone to look at Lio, as soon as he can be sure Lio will be comfortable with that - no, he corrects himself, before that they should get him back to the hab and get him something to wear, something to eat…

He’s lost in thought as Aina helps herself to the medical supplies, not waiting for the doctors to become available before she starts administering first aid herself. “I’m amazed you’re still standing,” she says quietly. “Kray… did this?”

Galo nods slowly, his face grim. “I… he was gonna kill me. He would have, if Lio hadn’t stopped him.” He takes a deep, shaky breath, then winces again as the motion expands his broken ribs. “He was so brave, Aina. I was terrified. For a moment there I thought Kray was gonna kill him too.”

“So Kray is…”

“Dead,” Galo confirms flatly. “Lio… or the Promare…” He hesitates. “I’m still not completely sure what happened. I just know he’s gone. He won’t hurt Lio ever again.”

“…Are you okay?”

Galo sighs. “Honestly… I don’t know. Maybe it just hasn’t sunk in yet. But I - I wanted to kill him for what he did to Lio. I did. But once I was actually facing him, I just…” He bites his lip, avoiding her eyes. “I thought I’d be happy. That he’s gone, I mean. I don’t know why I’m not.”

Aina squeezes his shoulder. “You cared about him for a long time,” she says softly. “It’s not your fault that he lied to you for so long.”

“Because of that, I almost lost Lio.” His voice is near a whisper. Aina puts her arm around him for just a moment, squeezing gently so as not to exacerbate his injuries, and he lets his head drop against her.

“I’m sorry,” she murmurs. “I’m so sorry it had to end like that.”

Galo shakes his head, his throat tight. “‘S okay,” he murmurs. “I haven’t... expected anything different for a long time now. Lio... Lio is safe. That’s all that matters.”

One of the doctors finishes with the thin Burnish man she’s checking over, and comes to help Aina with Galo’s injuries. It’s not as bad as he’d expected, honestly, and he almost wonders if the regenerative properties of Lio’s flames worked on him too, a little. He grits his teeth furiously as the doctor sets his broken arm, lets her wrap it in a quick-setting cast, listens patiently as she sternly explains what he shouldn’t do until his arm and ribs heal properly. She’s quite insistent that he should come back to her office in the terraforming complex to get checked over more thoroughly, but Galo refuses. It’s not life-threatening, the rescued Burnish should take priority - and he needs to be with Lio. The doctor finally concedes, none too happily, though she still insists he come get his injuries looked at the next day. Aina makes an apologetic face at the doctor as they leave, when she thinks Galo isn’t looking.

When he returns Lio is still sitting on the ground with the three generals in a tight circle, so close their knees are touching. A couple of other Burnish have come up to speak to them, and Galo’s spirits lift to see Lio actually talking with them, though he’s visibly tense and Meis’s hand rests on his lower back in a clear gesture of reassurance. When he looks up and sees Galo, he relaxes slightly, almost smiles, and Galo feels a warmth that has nothing to do with the bright morning sun.

“Do you want to come back to the hab with me and Aina?” he asks Lio, careful how he chooses his words. Lio’s mental state still seems fragile, all too used to obedience; Galo’s not going to do anything without giving Lio room to decide. Even if what Lio decides doesn’t end up involving him - he feels a twinge of nerves as he asks, watching Lio with the two Mad Burnish generals who would clearly do anything for him. He might be better off with them - but after a moment’s hesitation, Lio nods, and stands up with a little help from Meis. His eyes are down again, Galo notices - he doesn’t seem able to maintain eye contact with anyone for too long - but he looks calm.

A few people from the militia have noticed Galo’s presence, and as they approach Galo can feel Lio tensing at his side. The two generals close in, almost instinctively, flanking Lio and guarding his back. Galo feels a rush of affection for them - these two men he barely knows, except he knows they’d give anything for Lio, same as him. 

“Is it true?” It’s Kilana, hand in hand with her wife, eyes wide with nerves and excitement. “The governor’s dead?”

Galo feels Lio flinch, and nods curtly. “It’s true.”

“Ignis and Heris went inside with some of the Burnish to negotiate with whoever’s left. I think they’ll have to listen now. We’re organizing a meeting to discuss housing and resource distribution, and—”

Galo holds up a hand, feeling slightly overwhelmed. He’s glad, he honestly is, that change is already starting to happen with the Burnish free and Kray gone. But there’s no room in his head for it, not right now, not with Lio trembling at his side. “Tell me later, okay?” he says. “I need to get home. Lio needs to rest and get something to eat.”

To Galo’s surprise, Lio actually speaks, his voice small and quiet. “Galo… the Burnish, someone needs to…”

“We’re on it, Boss,” Meis says firmly. “Don’t worry about a thing. We’ll make sure they’re treated fairly.”

Lio nods, looking relieved. Galo glances at Meis and Gueira and nods to them. “Thanks,” he murmurs.

“Thank _you,_ ” Meis says, meeting Galo’s eyes, his voice tight with emotion. “What you’ve done for us… none of us will forget this.”

\---

The day passes in a whirlwind of activity. Heris isn’t sure how Ignis roped her into helping plan their next moves, but she’s wound up running back and forth between the research complex and Oversight, seeking out the people she knows she can trust, explaining what’s happened, convincing potential allies to lend a hand. They all wind up gathered at the edge of the settlement, trying to figure out what will come next for Omega Centauri now that Kray is gone and the Burnish are free. By the time the impromptu meeting has ended - or, more accurately, devolved into a raucous celebration - it’s late in the day, sundown beginning to paint streaks of color across the sky. Sunsets on Omega Centauri are always spectacular, the sun casting dramatic shadows across the sky as it passes behind the planet’s rings, and as she stands out on the edge of the settlement some distance from the ongoing party, Heris realizes this is the first time she’s really been able to appreciate it. She knows this planet better than most, intimately familiar with all the satellite photographs of its surface and the data that’s been collected from orbit. But she’s spent so little time outside the confines of the terraforming complex, so little time actually experiencing the planet she’s spent the past year helping to tame. Truth be told, she’s never cared much about it. Work was always just a distraction, the only thing she could rely on to pull her away from her own thoughts, and Omega Centauri itself was little more than an abstraction.

It feels like that’s already changing, and for some reason, that scares her a little. She’d been so sure she had nothing to lose, but maybe that’s not quite true anymore.

“Hey,” comes a voice behind her, uncharacteristically hesitant and shy. Heris turns, surprised. She hadn’t expected anyone to come talk to her, much less Aina.

“Hey,” Heris says weakly. She folds her hands in front of her, trying not to fidget. “Um.”

Aina smiles slightly. “You’re still not really one for parties, are you? Can’t really blame you, it’s getting a bit wild. Gueira and Varys are trying to drink each other under the table with that awful moonshine stuff Luis brought... not gonna end well.”

Heris smiles a bit at that. “Yeah. I’m... glad everyone’s enjoying themselves. I just had a lot to think about.”

“I bet.” Without ceremony, Aina flops down on the ground, sitting with her legs stretched out, and pats the dirt beside her. Heris hesitates, then slowly sits down next to her sister, knees pulled up to her chest and her arms wrapped around her legs. “I was thinking about it too. What’s coming next.”

“Yes.” Heris sighs heavily. There’d been an intense discussion on leadership for the colony, with Kray gone. The government he put in place had been a dictatorship in all but name, and it would have to be completely rebuilt to dismantle the stranglehold Oversight had over the rest of the colony. A loose coalition has already formed out of the civilian militia and Burnish community leaders, joined by those colleagues Heris trusted from the terraforming division and a handful of officials within Oversight who’d opposed Kray. The need is clear for an interim governor, someone to guide the reconstruction process. At the meeting, they voted overwhelmingly in favor of appointing Galo Thymos.

And Galo had refused, point-blank.

“Are you going to talk to Galo?” Heris says. “I know you’re close... if you ask, he might—”

Aina lets out a startled laugh. “ _Galo?_ No way. He was absolutely right.” She shakes her head. “He’s a good man, and an honest one. I don’t blame anyone for wanting a leader like him. But he’s got Lio to look after now, you know? All he really wants to do now is take care of him, and that’s… that’s going to take all of his attention for a while. He’s not going to take on responsibility for the entire colony.”

Heris sighs. “It’s understandable. But I don’t know who else - why are you laughing?”

Aina’s got a conspiratorial grin on her face like they’re sharing a private joke, and it’s so like _before_ that Heris feels something squeeze painfully in her chest. “ _You,_ sis. I’m not going to talk to Galo. I came over here to talk to _you._ ”

“Oh.” Heris’s stomach drops as she realizes what Aina is saying. _“Oh.”_

Because after Galo refused to be part of the new government, after Ignis made it clear he didn’t want anything more than continuing to represent the people of his sector… people had, for some unknowable reason, started looking at _her._

“I think you should take the job,” Aina says, still smiling. Heris tries in vain to find any hint of sarcasm or humor in her voice. There is none. Her sister is completely serious about this. “People respect you. They trust you, after you put yourself on the line for us. And you’ve been working with Kray’s government since before we even got here. You know how to talk to people, how to get things done. You’ll know better than anyone who we can trust in Oversight and who’s still a danger. And I know you can do it - you were in charge of the Foundation’s research division in Promepolis for how many years?”

“That’s completely different,” Heris protests. “I have no idea how to do what this colony needs, I’m just—”

“After Kray, do you think anyone actually _wants_ another self-important asshole who’s convinced they know best? At least you’ve shown you’re willing to listen.” Aina’s leaning forward, clearly warming to the idea herself. “I mean, I don’t think you’ll _enjoy_ it. I’m pretty sure you’ll hate it. But hey, you’ve been trying to punish yourself since we got here, and at least this would be a productive way to do it-”

_“Aina!”_

“I’m serious.” Aina bites her lip, looks away. “Honestly, once this is all over, what were you going to do? Don’t… don’t lock yourself away again, Heris. I think - I think this place still needs you.”

“I…” Heris stares down at the dirt, unable to come up with a response to that. She thinks she’d had a vague idea at first of how she wanted this to end for her, once Lio was free and Kray was gone. She’d meant every word of it when she told Galo he’d never have to see her again. But somewhere along the line, maybe when Aina started actually reading those encoded letters, maybe during those late, frantic nights with Lucia building the Ardefex Engine - the notion has lost some of its appeal. She just still doesn’t know what she should be doing instead. “It doesn’t matter, anyway, we need someone the Burnish could trust,” she murmurs. “I’m the last person they would want as interim governor.”

“That’s not what Gueira said.” Heris looks over at Aina, startled. “I don’t think he likes you,” Aina says candidly, chuckling a little. “I think the exact wording was, ‘it’d serve her right.’ But you - you _know_ what they’ve been through. You know exactly how horrible it was and you’ve proven you’re willing to do anything to keep it from happening again. Gueira and Meis, at least… I think they can’t help but respect that. And I have a feeling they can bring the others on board.”

Heris hunches forward, burying her face in her arms so she no longer has to see Aina’s expression. She’d never have expected a look of sympathy to hurt so much more than cold rejection, somehow. “I don’t deserve this,” she murmurs. “They have to know I don’t deserve it.”

“Maybe,” Aina says softly. “But I’m not sure that matters. One way or another… we've all got to move forward now.”

They lapse into silence for a while. After a while Heris looks up, sees Aina staring pensively up at the sky, at the stars just beginning to be visible behind the planet’s rings. “I was thinking,” Aina says suddenly, her voice quiet, “it’s going to be pretty crowded at the hab until we get housing sorted out. Galo and I share a room, you know, but I think he and Lio will need some space. I was thinking maybe I’d… stay somewhere else, for a while.”

Heris stares at her. “Where-”

“I mean, I’m- I’m still registered as a resident at your apartment in the terraforming complex, right?” Aina blurts out in a rush, looking over at her sister with an openly anxious look on her face. “If - if you’d have me, that is, if you were still planning to live there, it’s okay if—”

“Are you… sure?” Heris manages.

She realizes there are tears in Aina’s eyes. “I think I miss having a sister,” Aina whispers. “Maybe… maybe we could give it another try?”

“Aina…” Heris’s voice hitches, and without thinking she leans forward. Aina wraps her arms around her fiercely before she can say another word, and Heris hugs her back, stroking her hair like she’s a little girl again. Before long they’re both weeping, Heris apologizing over and over in a stream of broken words and tears.

Aina’s still sniffling when they pull apart, but she’s smiling too, wiping her wet face with the back of her hand. “Y-you’ll need help, anyway, if you’re going to be the interim governor.”

“I still haven’t agreed to that,” Heris protests weakly.

“No, but you will. I can tell.”

“How?”

Aina gives her a lopsided, affectionate smile. “You’ve gotten pretty good at doing the right thing.”

\---

“Lio!”

Lio’s sitting outside, leaning against the back of the hab, and he looks up at Galo a second before a worn red jacket is draped over his shoulders. He recognizes it as part of Galo’s old Burning Rescue uniform. Galo smiles down at him. “Thought you looked cold.”

Lio manages a smile back, even though he still can’t help but lower his gaze after a couple minutes. “Thanks.” He tugs the jacket more closely around himself like a blanket, and it helps. He’s wearing a sturdy jumpsuit borrowed from Aina, and even though they’re about the same height it’s still a bit big on him; Aina’s slender but sturdy, well-muscled from a year spent laboring for the colony and a career in emergency rescue before that. Next to her Lio looks waifish, starved and fragile after his year of imprisonment. Still, he doesn’t exactly mind how the baggy clothes obscure the shape of his body; he can almost feel invisible, wearing this, and it’s not a bad thing. The jacket’s even better, though - big, warm, undeniably Galo’s. He clutches it tightly, shielding himself from the cool night air.

Galo sits down next to him with a deep sigh. “You okay? You’ve been out here for a while.”

“Mm…” Lio nods, trying to formulate a response. It’s difficult to get used to being spoken to directly, to being able to answer with his own words rather than trained responses. He’s spent most of the day watching at a distance, not really wanting to be noticed; even so, he’s grateful for the way Galo never gets too far from him. On the occasion that he gets pulled into some discussion with the other colony rebels, Aina or Gueira or Meis will inevitably find their way over to Lio, bringing him something to eat or just stopping to talk without expecting anything from Lio in response. Their kindness, their gentleness, is almost overwhelming, but he selfishly doesn’t want them to stop.

No one’s touched him either, except Gueira and Meis. That’s hard to get used to, too, the way he’s suddenly allowed personal space if he wants it. Even Galo doesn’t reach for him until Lio touches him first, and doesn’t stop him when Lio suddenly needs to pull away. It’s almost too much sometimes, even though he’s craving it.

He glances sidelong at Galo, then scoots closer to him, lightly leaning his head on his shoulder. Immediately Galo puts his arm around him, so readily that Lio suspects he was itching to do it but waiting for Lio to make the first move.

“You’re not shaking anymore,” Galo remarks quietly. “That’s good.”

Lio nods. “I feel warm,” he whispers. He doesn’t know how to explain that he doesn’t just mean his physical temperature; there’s a chill that’s fallen over him since Kray died under his hands, and even the warmth of the Promare deep in his core doesn’t seem able to touch it. It’s easier, with Galo’s arms around him, at least as long as he’s able to bear being touched.

“I talked to Aina, and she’s going to stay with her sister tonight, so we have an open bed for you here. I take the top bunk usually but - you can have it, if you want, it’s up to you. It’s not much but at least it’s got a real mattress, you know? And then once we sort out housing, hopefully there’ll be more space and you can go wherever you want, I’m sorry it’s so crowded right now but—” Galo’s rambling, and the way his voice fills the silence is comforting at first. But hearing him talk about his plans, what’s coming next, makes something in Lio clench with anxiety. 

Lio leans back a little, looking up at Galo and searching his face. “It’s… it’s okay if you’re…” He takes a quick shuddering breath and looks away, finding it suddenly hard to get the words out. “I know I’m not…”

“Not what?” Galo’s voice is so kind and concerned that it hurts.

“I’m not who you came to save,” Lio says finally, his voice sounding small and worn in his own ears. “Not really, not anymore, I-”

He feels Galo’s hand rubbing gently at his shoulder, and for some reason it puts a lump in his throat. “You’re you,” Galo says simply. “You’re _Lio._ That’s enough, isn’t it?”

“Is it?” He looks up at Galo again, feels the wetness of tears he doesn’t remember shedding on his cheeks. “Is it enough for _you?_ You did all this for- for someone I don’t remember how to be anymore.”

Galo shakes his head. “Lio, no one expects you to be back to normal after everything that happened to you-”

“He made me into exactly what he wanted me to be,” Lio says shakily. He wraps one arm around his chest, shoulders hunching. “And now he’s gone and I’m not - I’m not anything, not anymore.”

“That’s not true,” Galo says immediately. “Lio, you’re - you’re _everything._ When we fought together on Earth - do you remember?” Lio nods hesitantly, not looking at him; it feels like something from another life. “I’d never felt anything like that before. Like being with you. It was like finding a piece of myself that was supposed to be there all along, and I’d only just realized what was missing. And then you were gone and when I thought you’d died I—” His voice shakes, and he takes a shuddering breath. “Learning you were alive was like remembering how to _breathe_ again. I knew - I _know_ I can’t fix anything that happened, I can’t make things the way they were, but - that doesn’t matter. I’ll be here, if you want me. As long as it takes.”

“You shouldn’t wait for something that might not happen,” Lio whispers, his chest tight. “You - you deserve more than something broken, Galo—”

Tentatively, Galo takes one of Lio’s hands in his. “I’m not just waiting, Lio,” he says softly. “I’m here now. For _you,_ not some idea of you, not whoever you might be in the future. Whatever you want, whether it’s something I can give or if you need me to leave or - or anything, I... god, Lio.” Lio looks up at him at last and sees that Galo’s eyes are filled with tears, gazing down at him with an expression that makes his breath catch. “You just- you deserve _everything,_ ” Galo whispers.

Lio pushes forward and, before he can change his mind, quickly presses his lips to Galo’s. It’s a sudden, impulsive movement but he finds himself lingering, hungry for something he thought he’d never have. It’s nothing like being kissed by Kray. Galo’s lips are soft and yielding, letting Lio in rather than trying to claim him. His hand comes up and gently, tentatively cradles the back of Lio’s head. Lio feels like weeping, or laughing, doesn’t know _what_ he wants except to hold tight to Galo and never let go again.

Eventually he has to come up for air and they both pull back, gasping. Lio’s fingers are curled into the fabric of Galo’s shirt, still clinging for dear life. “I want you,” he whispers, the words spilling out of him before he can even think to stop him. “More than anything, Galo, I- just don’t leave me, please don’t leave.”

Galo presses his forehead against Lio’s, his hand still buried in Lio’s hair against the back of his head. “Never,” he breathes. _“Never.”_

They don’t speak for a while after that. Lio presses himself against Galo and holds on tight, breathing in the scent of him, trying to drown out everything else in his mind with Galo’s warmth and the weight of his arms against Lio’s back. Galo tucks Lio’s head under his chin and holds him, rocking him gently, and for the first time today the physical contact never becomes too much, never overwhelms him. Lio breathes in deep and listens to Galo’s heartbeat and for the first time in what seems like a lifetime, he feels safe.

After a while he feels himself relaxing and jerks with the effort of pulling himself back to wakefulness, not pulling away but readjusting his position against Galo’s side. He yawns, and Galo looks down at him. “You should go to sleep,” he says. “You must be exhausted.”

Lio shakes his head emphatically, sits up straighter. “No... not yet. I’m okay, I don’t want...”

“Hey.” Galo leans his head down, trying to meet Lio’s eyes. “It’s all right. You’re safe here, you know? No one’s going to touch you.”

“I know,” Lio murmurs. “It’s just - I just—” His whole body shudders convulsively, and he finds himself pressing closer against Galo’s side. “If I go to sleep, I might - what if this isn’t real, what if I wake up with _him_ again, what if—”

“Shhh.” Galo’s arms tighten around Lio, one hand gently stroking his hair and the other rubbing his back in small circles. “It’s okay. You’re okay. This is real. I promise. When you wake up I’m still gonna be right here.”

“Don’t let go,” Lio whispers. “Please.”

Galo kisses his forehead gently. “I won’t. Not ever.”

Lio closes his eyes, tucks his face against Galo again. Breathes in, deep and steady, in time with the rising and falling of Galo’s chest. As he slowly, gradually relinquishes his grasp on consciousness, Galo starts to hum quietly as he strokes Lio’s hair, something distantly familiar that Lio can’t quite place. The thrum of Galo’s soft voice reverberates in Lio’s body, filling him, and somewhere both inside him and very far away Lio thinks he can hear the Promare too. They sing, bright and free of fear.

They sing, and Lio sleeps.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Holy shit, I can't believe I finished it. Thank you all so, so much for the amazing support and feedback for this series - I'm honestly blown away. I've never gotten this level of response on anything I've written, and I seriously didn't expect it to happen for probably the most self-indulgent thing I've written in a long time! Writing this has kept me sane during a seriously stressful time - I'm very grateful to have found Promare fandom, and especially Kraylio Nation, when I did. Special thanks to the Kraylio discord and everyone I've met in various other Promare servers - you guys are awesome!
> 
> This is definitely not the last you'll hear from me - I'm still completely obsessed with this fandom and have a few other Kraylio and Galolio projects I'm excited to get started on. Also, while this is the ending of the main story of The Colony, I'm hoping to write some extras about various moments that we didn't have time to focus on in the main plot, as well as some epilogue content about Lio's recovery and life with Galo on Omega Centauri.
> 
> Please come say hi on Twitter if you haven't already, I'm [@BurningLio](https://twitter.com/BurningLio) and I love meeting other Promare fans. Feel free to DM me for an invite to the Kraylio server, as well!
> 
> A few last extra tidbits before I close this out - I wanted to shout out a few people who did some INCREDIBLE fanart on Twitter, please go check them out!  
> [assorted Colony sketches by @kraygalolio](https://twitter.com/kraygalolio/status/1246304842206908418)  
> [Lio jumps from the balcony by @hornyaussiebun1](https://twitter.com/hornyaussiebun1/status/1249213040752570372)  
> ["Shattered" animatic by @fetturat](https://twitter.com/fetturat/status/1258589102712057856)
> 
> And, just for fun, I recreated the "soundtrack" playlist I've been listening to while writing this series - I put a list in the description of the characters and scenes each track corresponds to. If you like moody, epic instrumental music you'll probably find something you like. Enjoy!  
> https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLN3HIX1lB_WGM0GDQ3EEtKw4TrP5HiHA4


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